A fresh wave of layoffs is set to hit the US job market in August, with several major companies including Walmart, Amazon, FedEx and NBCUniversal expected to reduce their workforce, according to public Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings reviewed by Newsweek.
The WARN notices, which are filed ahead of large-scale layoffs or plant closures, cover employers across industries such as retail, technology, manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. While the filings indicate planned job cuts, they often apply to specific locations or business units rather than companywide workforce reductions, Newsweek reported.
Companies reporting August layoffs
According to Newsweek, the following companies have WARN-tracked layoffs scheduled to take effect in August:
Prairie Farms Dairy, Elite Comfort Solutions, NBCUniversal, ILPEA Industries, Red Lobster, 6th Street Center for Youth, Independence Premium Foods, SDH Education East, Expeditors International of Washington, Joymark, General Dynamics, Amazon, T&H Services, Laboure College of Healthcare, BrandFX, MV Transportation, FedEx, Levi Strauss & Co., Sunrise Transportation and Walmart.
Among the companies, Walmart has several California WARN notices scheduled to take effect on August 21. The filings affect employees in San Bruno and multiple Sunnyvale locations.
According to Newsweek, the San Bruno notice impacts 88 workers, while the Sunnyvale filings range from 49 to 68 employees at different sites.
Why companies are cutting jobs
Despite the layoffs, the US labour market has remained relatively resilient in 2026. However, workforce reductions have continued across multiple sectors as businesses deal with economic uncertainty and changing market conditions.
The federal WARN Act generally requires companies with at least 100 employees to provide 60 days’ notice before carrying out a mass layoff or closing a facility affecting 50 or more workers.
Several states, including California and New York, have broader WARN laws that require employers to notify workers in additional situations beyond the federal requirements.
A WARN filing does not necessarily mean a company is undergoing a companywide restructuring. Many notices relate only to individual offices, facilities or business units, and in some cases the planned layoffs may later be reduced or withdrawn.
Labour market watchers will be closely tracking upcoming federal employment reports to see whether hiring continues to offset layoffs and whether unemployment remains near recent levels.